No one quite like Marija

Alternative Serbia Tours

Because everyone needs a Marija in their life!

Moment of truth! I just like spending time with Marija. Her energy is infectious (maybe not the right word to use right now, but it’s true) Her energy is like the calmness of the Danube with a constant supply of bubbles. I hope that makes sense and I say this with conviction, everyone needs a Marija in their life, not just a Marija, but THIS Marija.

After my Vegan Food Tour with Marija I knew I needed to have more time with her and I asked to put together a custom mashup tour for me of the Zemun area, the city within the city, just on the other side of the Sava River from the Belgrade City Centre.

A really unique thing about Zemun is that the people that live there, really love living there. In most cities around the world, if you live in the suburb of a big city, you typically say you are from that big city…but not the people of Zemun. They are proudly from Zemun. I asked Marija a million and ten times what do you call the Zemun people and she repeatedly told me and I said it out loud a million and ten times and still I forget. I am soooo sorry.

First and foremost, the day was perfect on all counts. The weather, the conversation, the history, the sights we saw, the food we ate, the secret paths and the secret gardens, the local spots that tourists don’t know about.

We started with a bus ride across the Sava River over and through New Belgrade to Zemun. She took me to the park where it once was a trading grounds for the east and west and also a quarantine zone during the plague. Zemun has an incredibly deep history, it was a border town for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

The Zemun park was the location for nearly 150 years of quarantine because of the plague. It was encircled by a large brick wall, and then circled by a ditch full of stale water. All passengers and goods arriving from Turkey to Austria had to spend a period of time in the Contumaz. If there was a positive sign of an illness, they would be quarantined in the barracks from 21 up to 50 days.

Afterwards we strolled down the cobblestone streets and enjoyed one of the best Burek I have had yet, obviously accompanied with drinkable yogurt, because that is the only way to eat Burek for breakfast.

Then we ate sweets from another traditional bakery.  I ate one of their cookies and it was so yummy that I might have vocalized my pleasure with a loud mmmmmmmmm which caused other shop patrons to turn around and look. Oops, I am sorry, but you make one heck of a delicious cookie.

She showed me the pedestrian zone, the walk along the Danube river front, some amazing historical craftsmen shops of watchmakers and pursemakers and a grape bush that is protected by the government because it is older than Canada. We ate lunch of Zemun fish specialities with a view on the Danube river, continued exploring the Gardoš tower, the main historical landmark of Zemun. We visited a store of the most famous Serbian chocolate producers. Seriously, Milka has nothing on this Serbian chocolate. And lastly ended the perfect day with the famous Zemun’s dessert, Serbian pancake. Which we would call it a crepe, but it is stuffed with chocolate cream, crushed cookies and fruits. OH MY!

A day very well spent on my custom tour of Zemun with Marija by Alternative Serbia Tours.
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_{Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion.  There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.}